Finance Minister Clarifies On Allowances Reports attributed to Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda that Government will effect arbitral removal of allowances negotiated through collective bargaining with unions are misplaced and should be ignored with the contempt they deserve. The Minister has instead reiterated that conditions of service allowances which are sanctioned through collective bargaining processes are only adjustable through established consultative processes as stipulated by relevant laws and regulations. Mr. Chikwanda has also confirmed that Government is in the process of reviewing administrative allowances sanctioned outside the collective bargaining framework. Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Roland Msiska has supported the stance taken by the Minister. The Minister said this will done through implementation of an integrated strategy for improvement of conditions of service, whose goal will be to rationalize the circumstances under which remunerative administrative allowances are payable and to foster a more responsible and financially sustainable approach to utilization of public resources. He said the process of reviewing administrative allowances has been necessitated by Governments concern that workers, retirees and ordinary members of the public who travel from all over Zambia to seek services from certain public institutions are sometimes made to wait for days or weeks to be attended to just because officials responsible for helping them are constantly attending events which have incentives such as administrative allowances. The background to this matter is that, on a tour of projects in Mongu last week on Friday, one of the reasons advanced for delays in implementing Governments’ development programmes was that some public service workers were spending too much time in workshops and seminars at the expense of coordinating and overseeing the speedy implementation of projects. During a courtesy call, the Barotse Royal Establishment, in a statement read on behalf of His Majesty the Litunga, also expressed concern at the slow pace at which development programmes were being implemented in the province. The Minister of Finance could not ignore the concern of the BRE as it was a confirmation of reports which the Government has been receiving through monitoring and evaluation activities whereby it has been recorded that there is a growing tendency by some public service workers to TRANSFORM AND MUTATE routine and ordinary office/station work for which they get salaries on a monthly basis, into special assignments that are shipped out to incessant workshop and seminar settings, whose underlying inducement are administrative allowances for attendees and organizers. Mr. Chikwanda has strongly appealed that instead of chasing workshops and seminars, public service workers should render focused attention to development programmes through timely, efficient and effective implementation of projects which will deliver jobs and poverty reduction for the majority of Zambians. The Minister has also appealed for the support of the unions and their members in ending workshop related fiscal irresponsibility in Government especially that most of them do not even benefit from the administrative allowances in question. He has reaffirmed that the PF Government has a responsibility to deliver development to the people and to look after workers in the best possible way. Mr. Chikwanda restated his deep concern with the proliferation of fiscal irresponsibility to the extent that funds meant for development programmes are sometimes channeled to workshops and seminars at the expense of job creation, poverty reduction, and the general social-well-being of the people of Zambia. Although the anxiety is understood, it was premature and a clear case of disregard for consultation for some union leaders to wantonly misinform the public about the stand of Government on allowances by issuing condemnation statements without seeking clarification from the Minister of Finance, to whom the comments on removal of allowances were attributed. Issued By: Chileshe Kandeta Public Relations Officer Ministry of Finance
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:01:50 +0000
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